Marcia P

I have lived a radical life. My husband and I ran a refuge for five years for prisoners and people that found themselves at a loss. We’d give them a key to our door. We had a lot of prisoners which we helped transition into the community. It was a wild ride. We always tried to take one at a time and integrate them into our family. We believed if you could feel that you belonged somewhere, you’d feel accepted, and feeling accepted would give them hope.

I wasn’t trained but it just felt like a natural thing to do. One of my skills is cooking, so an important rule was that we eat together at the table as a family. I opened my home to many broken people that knocked on my door, and I loved them unconditionally. I believe most people were affected by God’s love, despite our weaknesses. We had many. Nevertheless we welcomed people that didn’t feel loved and it worked.

It was a privilege how people opened themselves to us, and let us into their lives.